Perfectly Preserved 40,000-Year-Old Wolf Head Found In Siberian Permafrost
Albert ProtopopovScientists estimate that the wolf lived 40,000 years ago.
Over the summer of 2019, one Russian man stumbled upon an amazing historical discovery.
During a brisk walk along the Tirekhtyakh River in the the Russian Republic of Sakha, the man found the severed head of a prehistoric wolf that lived 40,000 years ago during the Ice Age.
The date of the specimen is remarkable in itself, but more significant was the condition of the artifact which was remarkably well-preserved in its entirety.
“This is a unique discovery of the first ever remains of a fully grown Pleistocene wolf with its tissue preserved,” paleontologist Albert Protopopov from the Republic of Sakha Academy of Sciences said.
The prehistoric wolf head, which measured 16 inches in length and is larger than half the body length of a modern-day wolf, was in such mint condition that it still had its fangs, thick fur, soft tissue, and brain intact — the first time such a well-preserved specimen has ever been found.
The wolf’s genetics are being further studied by a team of international researchers, who believe the head belonged to an adult wolf aged between two and four years old when it died.
The discovery was announced in a joint exhibition organized by Yakutian and Japanese scientists in Tokyo. With this remarkable relic, researchers hope to learn more about the evolution of ancient wolves to their modern iterations.
After reading about some of the greatest historical discoveries of 2019, check out 33 ancient history facts you definitely didn’t learn in school and see how this year’s history news roundup compares to the biggest stories of last year.
